“Blessed is the father who is able to give his children roots and wings” says a proverb from Puglia. Today the eyes of the world are focused on Puglia, which confirms its attractiveness, a model of virtuous development for good sustainable practices based on culture and the valorization of tourism policies.
The fourth edition of the workshop “Puglia, a way of life”, held on June 27, 2024 in Rome, was particularly well attended, confirming the usual success, describing synergies, projects and related results.
The Foreign Press Association conference room at Palazzo Grazioli in Rome was packed, and many people were connected via streaming.
The rich afternoon opened with the speech of the special guest, Luca Bianchi, general manager of Svimez, an expert in economics and territorial development policies who took stock of economic data related to the world of production and regional work. Identity and innovation of Puglia are the main themes, as objectives to be achieved, after a positive economic season for the region, which goes from 2019 to 2023, establishing it as the most dynamic in Italy, with GDP growing by 6.1%. The objectives to work on are to strengthen industrialization, that is, an industrial approach to the management of the system, to attract foreign investments, internationalization and innovation, universities and research, and combating the brain drain.
The South produces graduates but is not able to retain them with quality jobs even if renewables and aerospace are already present in Puglia as a Puglia supply chain.
The Apulian towns are inhabited places, not spaces, and the intangible heritage: music, smells, flavours of the Apulian land constitute an indispensable way of life.
In 2023, 16 million tourists and 11 million airport passengers were exceeded. What emerged from institutional voices is that the growth path continues, as stated by the tourism councilor Gianfranco Lopane, so that the most consolidated and recognizable destinations can also be joined by lesser-known destinations in the hinterland. The region confirms its attractiveness also thanks to the seaside model that enjoys excellent waters: this year too the cleanest in Italy. Around the sea, which is the main resource, numerous activities are developed that enrich the offer, such as water sports, boating and cruises. Not only sea therefore, Puglia is a destination for sustainable tourism, thanks to the walks, cycling and dedicated hospitality.
“Puglia has managed to carve out a space of recognition on the international scene that comes from the beauty of its places, the iconicity of its traditions, but also from the ability to propose an alternative life paradigm, based on sustainability, hospitality, conviviality and commitment to legality along the path indicated, years ago, by Cassano’s ‘Pensiero Meridiano’”, reiterated Viviana Matrangola, Councilor for Culture and Legality of the Puglia Region. “In recent days – she concluded – the Regional Council has given the green light to the ‘Pugliese Manifesto of Cultural Welfare’, which commits all the subjects involved in the development of the cultural offer to greater integration between the systems of culture and well-being. In Puglia we are convinced that, through culture, people, territories and communities can write or rewrite the most beautiful pages of their lives”.
“At the end of a European programming cycle, we can talk with facts. – says Aldo Patruno, director of the Department of Tourism, Economy of Culture and Territorial Development of the Puglia Region – We have spent everything that was assigned to us: 6 billion in European funds. Of these, 1 billion and 600 million have been invested in tourism and culture, which represent a fifth of the regional GDP. The regional strategic plan for culture was conceived in 2016 on a ten-year basis, with the aim of structuring a culture economy, which has been composed by welding itself with tourism. We have exceeded 16 million presences in 2023, with a demand for international and high-spending tourism”.
